By classical definition, the term “dry cleaning” has been used to describe processes for cleaning textiles using nonaqueous solvents. Dry cleaning is an old art, with solvent cleaning first being recorded in the United Kingdom in the 1860's. Typically, dry cleaning processes are used with garments such as woolens which are subject to shrinkage in aqueous laundering baths, or which are judged to be too valuable or too delicate to subject to aqueous laundering processes. Various hydrocarbon and halocarbon solvents have traditionally been used in immersion dry cleaning processes, and the need to handle and reclaim such solvents has mainly restricted the practice of conventional dry cleaning to commercial establishments. In addition to the cleaning function, dry cleaning also provides important “refreshment” benefits. For example, dry cleaning removes undesirable odors and extraneous matter such as hair and lint from garments, which are then generally folded or pressed to remove wrinkles and restore their original shape.
One type of home dry cleaning system comprises a carrier sheet containing various cleaning agents, and a plastic bag. The bag can be either sealed such that it is substantially air tight or the bag can be vapor venting. The garments to be cleaned are sealed in the bag together with the sheet, and then tumbled in a conventional clothes dryer. In a commercial embodiment, multiple single-use flat sheets and a single multi-use plastic bag are provided in a package. However, the bag requires storage between uses and it can substantially increase the cost of the dry cleaning kit. Moreover, the bag restricts the number/volume of articles which can be dry cleaned.
It has been the belief in the dry cleaning industry that a containment bag was necessary for dry cleaning fabric articles in a conventional clothes dryer because of the high rate of air flow through conventional dryers. The bag served to contain the water vapor, which evaporates off of the carrier sheets due to the heat in the clothes dryer, so that the water vapor could remain in contact with the fabric articles/garments being dry cleaned thereby delivering perfume and other beneficial agents. It was believed that without a bag the evaporated water vapor would be driven off by the forced air flow in the clothes dryer, prematurely drying the fabric articles before the cleaning/refreshment function was complete.
Hence there is a need for a dry cleaning process which eliminates the containment bag while simultaneously providing the same cleaning, refreshment and garment protection functions of prior dry cleaning processes. Additionally, there is the need for a dry cleaning kit which provides the necessary items and compositions to accomplish the dry cleaning processes described herein.